The Way Home
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• Jesus often called God our heavenly
Father.
• Jesus likened His concern for Jerusalem
to a mother hen and her chicks. (Mt 23:37)
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• Matthew 23:37 - " O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets
and stones those who are sent to her!
How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks
under her wings, but you were not willing!
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• God likens His people as His sons and He
as the Father. (Mal 1:6)
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• Malachi 1:6 - " A son honors his father,
And a servant his master. If then I am the
Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a
Master, Where is My reverence? Says the
LORD of hosts To you priests who despise
My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have
we despised Your name?'
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• The love of a father is a reflection of what
God is like! (Mt 7:9-11)
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• Matthew 7:9-11 - "Or what man is there
among you who, if his son asks for bread,
will give him a stone? 10 "Or if he asks for
a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 "If
you then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father who is in heaven
give good things to those who ask Him!
•
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• Our God feels the same pain that earthly
fathers do for wayward children.
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• Satan has built a false view of God with
many.
• If we could only see the real grief God has
towards the lost and the genuine joy to
those who come home!
(Psa 78:40; 95:10; Lk 15:7)
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• Psalm 78:40 - How often they provoked
Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in
the desert!
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• Psalm 95:10 - For forty years I was
grieved with that generation, And said, 'It
is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.'
Our God has chosen to liken the home to
our relationship with Him.
• One parable in particular lets us see this
nature of our God!
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Luke 15:11-12 - Then He said: "A certain
man had two sons. 12 "And the younger
of them said to his father, 'Father, give me
the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he
divided to them his livelihood.
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• How can a man choose to be discontented
with God and His provisions?
• Satan has always sought to plant pride in
our hearts. (Gen 3:4-6)
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Genesis 3:4-6 - Then the serpent said to
the woman, "You will not surely die. 5
"For God knows that in the day you eat of
it your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So
when the woman saw that the tree was
good for food, that it was pleasant to the
eyes, and a tree desirable to make one
wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also
gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• When we seek to focus on ourselves to
hide our insecurity we can put on the mask
of pride.
• God is a God of order, truth and
consistency. Satan will use these great
attributes of God and convince man that
he is being cheated!
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• “No Christian should cling to the old simply
because it is old. Neither should the new
be desired because it is new. Many things
are old because they have been tried,
proven, and not found wanting. Things are
not right because they are old, but often
are old because they are right. On the
other hand, things are not wrong because
they are new and different.” – James
Adams, Splendid Discontent
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• This son sought a separation from his
loving father.
• Once the sin of pride and bitterness has
set in, you no longer can see straight!
Things that are good are seen as bad.
(Isa 5:20)
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Isaiah 5:20 - Woe to those who call evil
good, and good evil; Who put darkness for
light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter
for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Over the years I have seen this terrible
pattern among some. It is not a matter of
“if” but “when” one leaves. Watch your
relationships! (Prov 22:24-25)
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Proverbs 22:24-25 - Make no friendship
with an angry man, And with a furious man
do not go, 25 Lest you learn his ways And
set a snare for your soul.
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• It is truly a sad sight when one forsakes
reason for the “non-traditional” path of
Satan! (1 Tim 6:3-5; Jer 2:13)
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• 1 Timothy 6:3-5 - If anyone teaches
otherwise and does not consent to
wholesome words, even the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine
which accords with godliness, 4 he is
proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed
with disputes and arguments over words,
from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil
suspicions,
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt
minds and destitute of the truth, who
suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
From such withdraw yourself.
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• There is a certain crash that will come in
time for those who think they are wiser
than God on how to line one’s life!
(Jer 2:13)
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Jeremiah 2:13 - "For My people have
committed two evils: They have forsaken
Me, the fountain of living waters, And
hewn themselves cisterns -- broken
cisterns that can hold no water.
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Those who cease to be thankful and leave
God can do so! (Rom 1:21-22, 24, 26, 28)
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Romans 1:21-22 - because, although
they knew God, they did not glorify Him as
God, nor were thankful, but became futile
in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts
were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise,
they became fools,
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Romans 1:24 - Therefore God also gave
them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of
their hearts, to dishonor their bodies
among themselves,
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Romans 1:26 - For this reason God gave
them up to vile passions. For even their
women exchanged the natural use for
what is against nature.
A blinded son chooses to leave home (Lk
15:11-12)
• Romans 1:28 - And even as they did not
like to retain God in their knowledge, God
gave them over to a debased mind, to do
those things which are not fitting;
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• Luke 15:13 - "And not many days after,
the younger son gathered all together,
journeyed to a far country, and there
wasted his possessions with prodigal
living.
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• You will find lots of “support” when you
leave God. (Jn 16:20; 1 Jn 4:5)
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• John 16:20 - "Most assuredly, I say to
you that you will weep and lament, but the
world will rejoice; and you will be
sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned
into joy.
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• 1 John 4:5 - They are of the world.
Therefore they speak as of the world, and
the world hears them.
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• The world hates “rules.” Worldly people
are quick to condemn and ostracize those
who seek to stand by God’s standards.
(1 Pt 4:3-5)
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• 1 Peter 4:3-5 - For we have spent enough
of our past lifetime in doing the will of the
Gentiles -- when we walked in lewdness,
lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking
parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In
regard to these, they think it strange that you
do not run with them in the same flood of
dissipation, speaking evil of you. 5 They will
give an account to Him who is ready to judge
the living and the dead.
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• Please think very carefully when you label
teaching as “negative.”
• It grieves me to see a wounded Christian
seeking “help” from scoffers.
• Satan’s support is never consistent,
reliable and fair. He will use you and cast
you away as trash.
• Imagine Judas actually thought to express
his remorse towards those who sought to
lie about and murder Jesus! (Mt 27:3-4)
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• Matthew 27:3-4 - Then Judas, His
betrayer, seeing that He had been
condemned, was remorseful and brought
back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
priests and elders, 4 saying, "I have
sinned by betraying innocent blood." And
they said, "What is that to us? You see to
it!"
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• The prodigal son had such a rude
awaking. Sometimes the best thing that
could happen to us is to be “stabbed in the
back.” (Lk 15:14-16; Jer 14:3)
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• Luke 15:14-16 - "But when he had spent
all, there arose a severe famine in that
land, and he began to be in want. 15
"Then he went and joined himself to a
citizen of that country, and he sent him
into his fields to feed swine. 16 "And he
would gladly have filled his stomach with
the pods that the swine ate, and no one
gave him anything.
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• Jeremiah 14:3 - Their nobles have sent
their lads for water; They went to the
cisterns and found no water. They
returned with their vessels empty; They
were ashamed and confounded And
covered their heads.
A blinded son finds “friends” and
“encouragement” in the world (Lk 15:13)
• All of his “friends” when he had money are
now long gone. What now?
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• A moment of truth can come when you hit
rock bottom.
• Can you be honest with yourself and see
the empty world you live in?
(Deut 28:64-67)
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• Deuteronomy 28:64-67 - " Then the
LORD will scatter you among all peoples,
from one end of the earth to the other, and
there you shall serve other gods, which
neither you nor your fathers have known -wood and stone. 65 "And among those
nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the
sole of your foot have a resting place; but
there the LORD will give you a trembling
heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul.
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• 66 "Your life shall hang in doubt before
you; you shall fear day and night, and
have no assurance of life. 67 "In the
morning you shall say, 'Oh, that it were
evening!' And at evening you shall say,
'Oh, that it were morning!' because of the
fear which terrifies your heart, and
because of the sight which your eyes see.
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• Sadly, many choose to stay in pride and
then blame others. How many prodigals
have blamed godly parents for the mess
they made!
• When this son moved from a relative view
of truth to a propositional one, then he
could reason again. Some never make this
change. (Num 16:41; Eph 4:14-15)
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• Numbers 16:41 - On the next day all the
congregation of the children of Israel
murmured against Moses and Aaron,
saying, "You have killed the people of the
LORD."
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• Ephesians 4:14-16 - that we should no
longer be children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine,
by the trickery of men, in the cunning
craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but,
speaking the truth in love, may grow up in
all things into Him who is the head -Christ --
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• 16 from whom the whole body, joined and
knit together by what every joint supplies,
according to the effective working by
which every part does its share, causes
growth of the body for the edifying of itself
in love.
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• Restoring a memory about the true nature
of God will be your path home.
• How many times has our God taught this
truth? (Ezk 16:3-13, 22)
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• Ezekiel 16:3-13 - "and say, 'Thus says the
Lord GOD to Jerusalem: "Your birth and
your nativity are from the land of Canaan;
your father was an Amorite and your
mother a Hittite. 4 "As for your nativity, on
the day you were born your navel cord
was not cut, nor were you washed in water
to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with
salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• 5 "No eye pitied you, to do any of these
things for you, to have compassion on
you; but you were thrown out into the open
field, when you yourself were loathed on
the day you were born. 6 " And when I
passed by you and saw you struggling in
your own blood, I said to you in your
blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you in your
blood, 'Live!'
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• 7 "I made you thrive like a plant in the field;
and you grew, matured, and became very
beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your
hair grew, but you were naked and bare. 8
"When I passed by you again and looked
upon you, indeed your time was the time of
love; so I spread My wing over you and
covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an
oath to you and entered into a covenant with
you, and you became Mine," says the Lord
GOD.
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• 9 "Then I washed you in water; yes, I
thoroughly washed off your blood, and I
anointed you with oil. 10 "I clothed you in
embroidered cloth and gave you sandals
of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen
and covered you with silk. 11 "I adorned
you with ornaments, put bracelets on your
wrists, and a chain on your neck. 12 "And
I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your
ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• 13 "Thus you were adorned with gold and
silver, and your clothing was of fine linen,
silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry
of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were
exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to
royalty.
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• Ezekiel 16:22 - "And in all your
abominations and acts of harlotry you did
not remember the days of your youth,
when you were naked and bare, struggling
in your blood.
A blinded son remembers and finds sight
• Our God has never changed His nature.
Why does one choose to forget?
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Luke 15:17-24 - "But when he came to
himself, he said, 'How many of my father's
hired servants have bread enough and to
spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 'I will
arise and go to my father, and will say to
him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you, 19 "and I am no longer
worthy to be called your son. Make me like
one of your hired servants." '
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• 20 "And he arose and came to his father.
But when he was still a great way off, his
father saw him and had compassion, and
ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I
have sinned against heaven and in your
sight, and am no longer worthy to be
called your son.'
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• 22 "But the father said to his servants,
'Bring out the best robe and put it on him,
and put a ring on his hand and sandals on
his feet. 23 'And bring the fatted calf here
and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24
'for this my son was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.' And they
began to be merry.
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Do you know who really loves you? (Ex. I
love him more!)
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• The son knew that to return to his father
would bring that ordered, consistent,
“traditional” life.
• He also knew that there is where his father
lived.
• The father was looking down that road to
see him coming. (1 Jn 4:16-19)
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• 1 John 4:16-19 - And we have known
and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and he who abides in love
abides in God, and God in him. 17 Love
has been perfected among us in this: that
we may have boldness in the day of
judgment; because as He is, so are we in
this world.
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casts out fear, because fear involves
torment. But he who fears has not been
made perfect in love. 19 We love Him
because He first loved us.
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• An honest life without excuses is a life of
peace and joy.
• The first step to pride is being dishonest
with yourself. (Gal 6:3)
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Galatians 6:3 - For if anyone thinks
himself to be something, when he is
nothing, he deceives himself.
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Knowing God’s nature makes honesty with
God natural.
• What does God think about a sinner who
repents? (Lk 15:10)
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Luke 15:10 - "Likewise, I say to you,
there is joy in the presence of the angels
of God over one sinner who repents."
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• “Religious” people often choose to live in
blindness. (Lk 15:1-2, 32)
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Luke 15:1-2 - Then all the tax collectors
and the sinners drew near to Him to hear
Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes
complained, saying, "This Man receives
sinners and eats with them."
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Luke 15:32 - 'It was right that we should
make merry and be glad, for your brother
was dead and is alive again, and was lost
and is found.' "
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Do you know the way home?
• I often have dreams that I have returned to
my childhood home.
• What a great reunion we will have in
heaven. Are you ready? (Rev 21:3-4)
A once blinded son humbly finds his way
home (Lk 15:17-24)
• Revelation 21:3-4 - And I heard a loud
voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and He will
dwell with them, and they shall be His
people. God Himself will be with them and
be their God. 4 "And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes; there shall be
no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain, for the
former things have passed away."